This blog documents some successful ideas on how to drive membership in the Boy Scouts of America.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Are You Prepared to Integrate Lions Into Your Cub Scout Pack?

The National Executive Committee and Board voted
that the Lion pilot has proven successful and is ready to officially join the
Cub Scouting family!

Research and feedback says…

Developing character is the #1 reason to join
Scouting, according to parents.

·61% of
Lion youth are new families to Scouting!

·Lions
grew over 50% nationally over the last 12 months.

·More than
91% of councils have been involved in the Lion pilot during 2017-2018.

·75% of
new parents take on leadership roles. Roles include assistant den leader,
committee member, assistant Cubmaster and more.

·Read on
to learn all of the latest updates and understand how to best integrate Lions
into Cub Scouting.

When does
the pilot stop and Lions become part of Cub Scouting?

At the end of the 2017-2018 school year. Lions will
officially kick off as a new Cub Scout rank for fall of 2018.

Do we
still use the word “Cub” for Lions?

To simplify things and be consistent, Cub Scouting
no longer uses the term Tiger Cubs or Lion Cubs. The youth are simply called
Lions or Tigers.

Can we
register Lions for the fall now?

The Lions program starts with Spring Recruitment in
the spring of 2018.

With
Lions now being the first offering in Cub Scouting, will Bobcat stay in Tigers
or move to Lions?

Bobcat is staying in Tigers and will remain as it
is currently run in the program.

Do den
chiefs work with Lions?

Den chiefs can work with those in the following Cub
Scouting ranks: Bears, Wolves and Webelos. Lions and Tigers do not have den
chiefs. Since an adult partner is required, the den chiefs are reserved for the
older ranks.

With the
new Lion merchandise available this summer, can families purchase these items?

Yes. Lions who have earned the various adventure
loops and/or Lion rank patch are welcome to purchase these items.

What’s new
for Lions?

Lion materials have been updated to reflect the
needs of both boys and girls. All girl dens or all boy dens are welcome. Images
are being updated on the Lion website and we will continue to share more images
for your local use.

Lions will now have more resources similar to other
Cub Scout ranks. These will arrive in our Scout Shops this summer in
preparation for the fall start.

Parents now have more flexibility with deciding
when to begin Lion fundraising. It’s also a family’s choice as to how many pack
meetings they attend based on their family’s schedule.

Additional New Items Available

·The Lion
Parent and Leader Guidebook will have a new cover. It will still be available
for parents and leaders all wrapped together in the Lion kit.

·The youth
handbook will get a new cover. Previously called the Youth Adventure Book, it
is now called the Lion Cub Scout Handbook. This update will be consistent with
the other Cub Scout ranks.

·A new
rank strip patch is also arriving. It will provide for better placement when a
Lion moves to Tigers and beyond. The previous diamond patch will be discounted
as stock runs out. The new rank patch can be placed on the T-shirt over their
heart.

Stickers are still available for the youth to place
in their Lion Cub Scout Handbook immediately as they complete an adventure.
However, new Adventure Loops will be available just as they are available for
the other Cub Scout ranks. These can be awarded during pack meetings or as the
pack traditionally awards them to the youth.

Because Lions will now have Adventure Loops, they
will also begin wearing their Cub Scout belt to proudly display their earned
awards. Your den may also be interested in the single Lion rank pocket card or
the multi sheet pocket card. Another item available will be the Lion
advancement chart.

In the Adventure of Gizmos and Gadgets a new
activity was added for a new yellow/gold neckerchief and slide. These would be
awarded after the adventure is complete, according to the desire of the
advancement chair and den leader.

What’s not
changing for Lions?

·The
T-shirt is loved by children and parents, alike. The youth enjoy the comfort
and fun of the Lion T-shirt, while the parents love the price point and cute
character. The T-shirt remains the official Lion uniform. The cap is still an
optional item.

·The Lion
curriculum is still the same fun and energetic program. Pinewood Derby was
added last year.

·As
mentioned above, the Lion Parent and Leader Guidebook will still be available
for parents and leaders all wrapped together in the Lion kit, which includes:

·Lion stickers

·Lion Cub Scout Handbook

·Lion Parent and Den Leader Guide

·Youth Protection, How to Protect Your Children from
Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide – newly added for Lions.But the version is the same as it is for the
rest of Cub Scouts.

·The Lion
website is still the same, complete with all the program resources you need, including
PowerPoints, videos, recruitment flyers, image link, FAQs, and more. All
resources will be updated by the end of May.